Advice From the King of Broken Hearts
by KricketWilliams
Summary: What I think happened when Penelope went to Rossi's for Scotch and Tony Bennett...I don't own a thing
1. Chapter 1

_AN: Just a little oneshot...I like to think she gained some courage and went for whom she really wanted after this..._

**Advice From the King of Broken Hearts **by Kricket Williams

Penelope's nose was dripping. That was her most hated part of feeling like crying. She squeezed the bridge of her beak, hoping that it would keep the tears at bay.

Kevin turned her down. Because he had a date. A date with another woman.

Her heart clenched in her chest at the thought of it. For some reason, when she'd turned down his kinda, sorta proposal, she'd never anticipated that he would start dating again so soon.

At least not before her.

Gina in IT. Of all people. She wasn't that pretty. She wasn't ugly, but…No, that was being catty. Gina was lovely, by all means. And she was nice. Very, wonderfully, uberly nice. So nice, Penelope couldn't hate her. Sadly, with a small amount of vanity, she thought Kevin had great taste in women!

She sighed as she pulled into the driveway at the Rossi mansion. Her Italian Stallion had such a huge house. It was like twenty of her apartments, and at least three of her whole building. It reinforced to her exactly how much David Rossi loved working for the BAU. Obviously, he didn't need to be there to pay the bills, like Morgan, herself, and everyone else. If she won the lottery, she always thought that she would probably leave. Deep down, she wondered if that was true. She loved her job, and loved her team like family, too. Even Blake had grown on her.

Esther, her big coppery caddy, sputtered to a stop at the top of the lengthy driveway, and she put it in park and shut the car off. She checked her appearance in the mirror. She looked miserable. Even her flower in her hair was droopy.

Forcing the droop away, she began a stride to the front door of the Rossi abode, climbed the four front steps, and clapped the brass lion door knocker.

She only had to wait a few moments.

"Kitten," he said, greeting her warmly. He opened the door and gestured to her with a wave of his arm. "Come on in."

As he helped her remove her lime green peacoat, she reflected on the atmosphere of the Rossi abode. There was a roaring fire in the large fireplace in the great room, giving off an aura of warmth and relaxation, and a faint scent of rich tobacco and Italian spices were wafting in the air. In the distance, she could hear the strains of some jazzy music that sounded like it was from a bygone era.

No Carly Rae or Beyoncé for Dave.

"How was your drive?" he asked as he lead her through to the great room. In front of the fire was a small table. On top of the table was a cut lead crystal decanter with a tawny liquid inside, and two glasses. The crystal had prisms of light from the fire radiating off of it, giving it a nearly magical glow, and Penelope started believing that maybe—just maybe—this whole Scotch and Tony Bennett idea was going to work for her.

"Not bad," she answered blandly, and stood there.

Dave took a seat by the fire in a comfy looking armchair that was so uberly his style. She took a seat in the chair next to him and sank into the luxury of the buttery Italian leather. She closed her eyes and smiled.

"Super agent, you know how to live."

"After fifty-mmmthing years," he said, running his hand over his mouth to mumble his age, "I should finally get it right."

She giggled, while he reached for the Scotch, and she sat up and immediately stiffened. "Oh. Just a little bit. I'm-"

"Two fingers full," he said, sloshing the liquid in the first glass. "For starters."

She frowned. "But-"

"No buts, young lady," he argued, and handed the glass to her, before pouring himself a drink.

She sighed, and sipped the liquid. It was nasty stuff, sharp and harsh, and she couldn't imagine drinking that full glass.

He clicked his tongue at her in disapproval. "Not like that. This is a bracer."

"Excuse me?"

"We say a toast, and then you shoot it down," he instructed. "Here...To love lost. Cheers."

"Cheers," she said warily, and then clinked the glass with him. He shot it down without incident, and Penelope bit her bottom lip and didn't move.

"Come on, Penelope. I don't have all night."

She sighed. She came here to do this, and well... "Here goes nothing..."

Fire shot down her throat along with the liquid, constricting her airway, and her eyes watered as she sputtered and coughed. She couldn't get a breath; it hurt. Oh, God, did it hurt!

"That was awful," she gritted hoarsely, glaring at him. It was. She wasn't going to lie to him.

"Wait for it," he said softly, pouring two new glasses.

And then, almost as quickly as it had erupted in flames, it mellowed. Softly, gently, warming her insides, her belly, the region where her heart was aching. It spread through her extremities, leaving a glow as warm as the fireplace in front of her.

Oh...now she knew why people drank this!

"That's a girl," he said, nodding in approval as he handed her a nearly full glass.

She sipped the drink, and it was no where near as bad as it first had been. She figured her mouth was probably numb, that's why it changed so drastically. Now it was nearly pleasant, with a nutty undertone and a strange, nearly sweet taste that was kind of...woody.

"So, Kevin-" she began, but he put up a hand.

"No. Not yet. Not now," he responded. "Sit back. Relax. Let Tony lull you, and then we'll talk."

With her body feeling so warm and flushed, she didn't have to be told twice. She sank into the leather again and closed her eyes, listening to the warm words. Along with her lips getting numb, her brain was starting to feel the repercussions of drinking such a strong beverage. It was hard to think straight.

"Right about...now," Dave said, and she opened her eyes to look at him. He was staring at her, like he was making a study of her, and he was smirking.

"Now what?" she asked, and her tongue felt thick.

"Now we can talk," he said, crossing his ankle on his knee. "So...tell me about this ex of yours."

That was an odd question...

"He's Kevin. You know Kevin." She shrugged and pouted. "And he found someone else."

"Do you care?"

She frowned at him. That was an even odder question.

"Of course I care."

"Why?"

She huffed. "Rossi. He was my boyfriend for four years."

"Ah," he said, stroking his goatee in deep thought again. "Because he's comfortable."

She stared at him, her mind spinning, and not only from the alcohol. "Well, I love him."

"Do you?" he said. "Because if you did, I have no doubt that you could get him back in a heartbeat."

"Really?"

He smiled. "None whatsoever. But-" he finished his drink, so she did hers, too. "Do you want him back?"

"I do..." she answered, but as she did, she listened. Tony Bennett sang of amazing love in the background, people who saw magic and felt magic, who loved with their whole hearts.

She hadn't loved Kevin with her whole heart in years...if ever.

"Garcia," Rossi said softly, as if reading her mind. He leaned closer to her, his warm eyes neither condemning or congratulating her. "There is a difference between wanting someone back because they fill a spot that you want filled, and wanting them back because you can't live without them."

She swallowed hard, but she couldn't keep the tears from gathering at the corners of her eyes. "I've been kinda unfair to him, haven't I?"

Dave chuckled a little. "Oh, man. I thought I was the Catholic in here! No feeling guilt, kitten. You gave him good years—probably more than he deserved—and you've grown where he's stayed stagnant. Trust me," he said, handing her a new glass of Scotch. "It happens. Even when you don't want it to."

In a sad twist of irony, Tony was now singing, "I'm the king of broken hearts..."

She looked for a tissue to wipe her eyes, and then took the hankie Rossi procured for her. "Thanks, Rossi."

He smiled at her. "No problem. Now, let's enjoy the fire some more, and talk about life."

She blew her nose, and then she laughed. "I suppose I should keep this hankie."

"Please do."

Penelope sighed, sat back in the chair, and watched the fire.


	2. Chapter 2

_AN: Chapter two, per request...If you are a Rossi/Garcia romance fan, well...it doesn't quite turn out that way (I'm a diehard MG girl, ya'll!), but trust me when I say there is no lack of love for our Italian Stallion (Oh, if I had met Joe M. first...LOL)... Quite frankly, he's the hero in this.._

* * *

**Chapter 2**

This evening was turning out to be one of the best Penelope could remember in her recent life. Far better than most of the dates she'd had with Kevin. Although, this wasn't a date. This was two friends who really cared about each other, spending a wonderful night conversing.

Rossi hadn't been kidding when he said he wanted to talk about life. He talked a lot about his life, more than he ever did at work or at prior events at his home with the team. Maybe it was the fact that it was just the two of them, sharing their lives, that made things so different.

His life was interesting. He had so many stories about work, writing, and even his relationships, and he had a good little moral to go with them. Unfortunately, Penelope didn't know if she was going to remember all of them in the morning. Her head was swimming in a sea of Scotch, and her stomach was starting to feel a rather unsightly burn that meant she might toss her cookies by the end of this night or tomorrow morning.

"So, Garcia," he said. "You've heard about my life. What's new in yours?"

She arched a brow at him, so well that Derek, Mr. F-B-Eyebrow, would be proud of her. "Beyond the fact that I was dumped by my ex for a woman with half my skills in the computer arena?"

He chuckled, a low, dirty little laugh that spoke volumes. "Oh, I'm sure you could wax her in other areas of skill, too, sweetheart."

She blinked her eyes at him. "Why, Agent Rossi! Are you flirting with me?"

Dave shot her a wink. "I've got a drunk, pretty girl in front of my fireplace. Of course I'm flirting with you."

That made her laugh and blush. It wasn't an unpleasant blush, either. As she glanced over at Dave, she couldn't help but notice how handsome he was. His nearly onyx eyes spoke of devilish delights, and his thick salt-and-pepper hair, stylishly cut and styled, made her fingers itch to touch it. No wonder he'd been married so many times; he was a rogue and handsome charmer.

Still, she could tell he was teasing...like another handsome, roguish charmer who never took her seriously, either. It seemed she was destined for failure when it came to smooth, attractive men.

"Well," she said, looking at him through her lashes in her best flirt, "I am flattered to have earned a spot on the Rossi flirting list."

He snorted and shot back the rest of his drink. "Trust me, honey; that list is far shorter than it used to be. But we're digressing. Your life."

"My life—" she thought for a moment, trying to think of something exciting, and came up nil "—is boring, I guess. I work, I play, I go home."

"Not a bad life," he said.

"I like it," she answered honestly.

"What about romance?" he asked gently. "Is there someone special in your life?"

Immediately, one man popped into her head, but she shook her head quickly. That was never going to happen, so there was no need to dwell on it. "No."

He had that same thoughtful look on his face. "Hmm...interesting."

"What?" she asked.

"You answered no, but your expression and the way you held your body said the opposite," he replied.

She flushed again, and this time, it was that uncomfortable flush. "Dave...I...Umm...I..."

He put up a hand and waved her into silence. "No reason to stammer about it. Tell me instead: what are you looking for? Another computer boy toy you can boss around?"

She gasped in surprise. "I didn't boss Kevin around!"

Dave chuckled and shrugged.

That uncomfortable flush moved all over her body, and she squirmed in her seat. "Maybe I did a little..."

"That's like saying World War Two was a little scuffle, kiddo."

She pulled a face. "Well, he was undecided a lot, and I hate waiting. _Someone _had to take the lead."

"So your next man would be someone who was strong and stood his ground," Dave clarified.

She thought about it. "It would be very nice to have someone stronger than I am." She thought about that for a second, and then added, "But lets me win sometimes."

Dave nodded, and a corner of his mouth went up in agreement. "That makes sense. A strong man with strong opinions when it counts. What else?"

"Someone who puts me first," she said quickly. She'd hated it when Kevin put his gaming or his online chats ahead of her. She'd been his real, live girlfriend, and he'd been more interested in Lara Croft.

"Ah." Rossi stroked his goatee. "Anything else?"

She closed her eyes and smiled. "If I could make this happen... I'd want him to be my best friend, as well as my lover. Someone who makes my life feel like a Tony Bennett song. There'd be magic chemistry between us. I'd want...I'd want to laugh with him and cry on his shoulder when I am hurting."

"Someone you can lean on?"

"Oh, yes," she breathed. "Someone I tell my secrets to first and foremost." She smiled, thinking of her dream man. "My partner in crime."

"Someone you need more than anything?"

"He needs me, too!" she cried, opening her eyes to plead with Dave to see what she did. "I was there for him when—"

She paused, hoping she'd caught herself before he'd noticed. "I-I got a little carried away in dreamland, there."

He smiled softly. "Not such a big dream, kitten."

She swallowed hard, feeling transparent...and petrified, and lowered her chin.

"Garcia." He leveled those same, straight, omnipresent Rossi eyes at her. "Part of not going for what is safe is taking risks. Maybe it's time?"

Before she could question that, the urge to go to the bathroom hit like lightening. "Ooh, I have to go potty."

"Down the hall, to the left," he said.

She stood and swayed on her feet. "Oh, dear..."

Steady hands reached for her waist, and an unexpected thrill ran over her. "Careful there."

"Th-Thanks," she murmured.

Penelope had a thousand thoughts on the way to the bathroom, each one more confusing and heart-wrenching. At first, she thought of one particular man, but she was with another one tonight. One who was kind and handsome, too. One who cared about her, whom she cared about, too. One she was attracted to.

_Maybe...maybe_...

By the time she made it out of the bathroom, Dave was waiting with a cup of coffee. "Here."

"Thank you," she said, reaching for it.

"Don't mention it."

She took a sip and then smiled at him. "We should do this more often."

He chuckled. "The Scotch habit something you want to look forward to?"

"No, silly. Getting together." She smiled at him, a little shyly, a little hopefully. "Maybe just the two of us...on a date?"

His smile was wistful and a touch sad. "_Cara,_ under different circumstances, I'd take you up on that in a heartbeat."

"What circumstances?" she asked, pouting sadly.

He touched her cheek and ran his rough thumb over the high bone. "Your heart is otherwise occupied, and I've been there and done that. It never turns out well."

"But I'm done with Kevin."

He arched a knowing brow at her. "Who said anything about Kevin Lynch?"

With those words, her heart caught in her throat. It seemed that yet again, her Super Profiler knew the truth about where her heart truly belonged before even she was willing to admit it. She felt tears well up in her eyes.

The loud brass knocker startled her, and she jumped slightly.

"Ah. Just in time..." Dave's smirk grew as he studied her bewildered face. "Remember, kitten: courage. Take a risk."

With a slight squeeze of her cheek, Dave left her standing in the great room while he answered the door. A moment later, he was back, escorting Penelope's best friend in the world, Derek Morgan.

"Hey, Baby Girl," he said, rushing over to her immediately, concern for her paramount on his unbearably handsome face. "Rossi said you had too much to drink and needed a ride home. That's not like you. What's going on? You okay, momma?"

She nodded and looked at Dave. "I'm fine."

"Take good care of her, Morgan," he said, clasping the younger man's shoulder. "She's our princess."

"Don't I always?" Derek teasingly quiered with a beaming grin at Dave.

"Wait a second," Penelope said, stopping before Derek could put his arm around her and usher her out the door.

"Okay, angel," Derek murmumred, still watching her like a hawk.

Penelope stepped up to Dave gave him a big hug, resting her head in the crook of his neck. "I envy the girl who gets your heart."

He hugged her back. "You've got a lucky man, too."

"Goodbye," she whispered, and before she chickened out, she rose on her tiptoes, kissed him quickly, and then stepped away back to a scowling Derek.

"Goodnight, kitten," Dave said with a chuckle.

Derek was still scowling as he led her toward the door. "What the hell was that all about... kissing Rossi? Baby, I don't think I-"

"Hush, my prince," she murmured, leaning more into Morgan, "and take me home."

Dave smiled as he watched the two lovebirds walk out the door. He had a feeling it wouldn't take long before they were announcing couple-hood. Good for them.

On impulse, he turned up the Tony Bennett, poured himself a little more Scotch, and sat back in front of his fire.

"To love lost...and love found," he said and then drank the bracer down.


End file.
